A PIMS 2024 for enthusiasts: What excited us most
The recently-concluded ninth edition of the Philippine International Motor Show surprised enthusiasts who were expecting nothing but regular cars for basic commuting. What unfolded before their eyes instead were amazing and exciting stuff! Here are some interesting finds.
1.) Mazda Autoexe customization program Autoexe
is a Japanese tuning company specializing in all things Mazda. They offer a multitude of tuning parts for a wide variety of Mazda vehicles. That the people behind the company are composed primarily of former Mazda Speed and Mazda Motorsports engineers is important because these engineers know the basic design and engineering of each car well.
Their tuning parts essentially improve on the base without affecting its key characteristics or impacting safety and reliability. They are as close to the official factory tuning department of Mazda as any tuning company will ever be. If you want any of their parts, you can log onto Autoexe’s website, find the part number, then troop down to your nearest Mazda dealership and order it there. It’s that simple!
2.) BMW i5 M60 xDrive Touring
There is a dearth of handsome station wagons (or estate, Avant, or Touring, take your pic at what you want to call them) in the world of motoring, and especially here in the Philippines. BMW intends to fix that.
Their latest offering, the i5 M60 xDrive Touring is a beast! 601hp, 795NM of torque, all-wheel drive, a sprint from 0-100kmh in a supercar slaying 3.9 seconds plus a 506km range from its 81.2kwh battery means the commute to work will never ever be boring! And since it’s a full EV, you can enjoy sheer driving pleasure seven days a week with number coding exemption.
3.) Ford Ranger Raptor V6 BiTurbo
Ford knows how to make big, bad and beautiful trucks. Their latest truck offering however really takes the proverbial cake. The latest Ranger Raptor eschews its very Asian 2.0 BiTurbo diesel powertrain in favor of a very American petrol-powered V6 displacing 3 liters and crucially, producing a mega 391hp and 583 Newton-Meters of torque.
There is even anti-lag available in Baja mode! Power is transferred to all four wheels through an electronically controlled four-wheel drive system, with front and rear locking differentials to make extreme off-roading even more enjoyable!
4.) Nissan NISMO Z
A few days prior, I was at the Nissan Global Headquarters and of course checked out the NISMO Z then posted it on social media. A colleague then commented that I got a sneak preview of Nissan’s display at PIMS. And the NISMO Z is truly amazing.
Amazing that in a day and age where people all want crossovers, SUVs, hybrids and electrics, Nissan soldiers on with the Z, a rear-wheel driven, turbocharged 3.0 V6 petrol engined sports car with retro looks reminiscent of the Nissan Datsun 240ZG from 1973. 420hp and 520 Newton-Meters of torque back up the aggressive looks, thanks to an upgraded turbo and revised spark timing for the VR30DDTT.
A nine-speed auto that’s tuned more aggressively with paddle shifters is the sole transmission option. I wonder if this qualifies for the Manila Sports Car Club then?
5.) Mitsubishi Triton rally truck
The Triton rally truck was a mock-up of the Asian Cross Country Rally. Nothing special there. But what’s significant here is the return of the Ralli-Art brand in an unlikely platform (a pick-up), albeit still true to its motorsports legacy of rallying. Let’s hope the resurgence of the Ralli-Art brand will see more exciting cars from Mitsubishi aside from important but boring people movers, b-segment cars, trucks and SUV’s.
6.) Mazda MX-30 R-EV
The Mazda MX-30 is special particularly to me. Mazda Philippines brought us to the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show as official guests to witness the unveiling of the MX-30. Initially only slated for Europe, it seems like the MX-30 is quite likely to join the fray as Mazda’s competitor into the eRev / electrified vehicle segment. T
he MX-30 presented by Mazda Philippines comes with a single 830cc rotor rotary engine acting as a power generator for the electric motor, delivering an impressive 600km range, with a fully electric 85km range. It’s also a PHEV thanks to its CCS Type-2 charging plug.
The rotary engine running at constant load is a perfect power generator as it utilizes its entire displacement dir every single revolution making it an efficient power plant per displacement or engine size. Rotary and electric is truly an unlikely marriage, but one that Mazda made convincingly good!
Exciting times ahead yet again for the local automotive industry, even for dyed-in-the-wool car enthusiasts!
